Power-transmission unit for automobiles.



G. E.. DAv1s.

POWER TRANsMlssmN UNIT Foa AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION FILED APR. 11, *1910. l 92@ 1 21 Patentef Apr. 23, 1912.

o. E. DAVIS. 'POWER TRANSMISSION UNIT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. ll, 1910. 1,924y 1 21 a Patented Apr. 23,1912.

4 Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

TINTTED sTaTas TaTnnT oTTTca.

CHARLES ETHAN DAVIS, OF MUN CIE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T WARNER GEAR COMPANY, 0F MUNCIE, INDIANA; A CORPORATION 0F INDIANA.

POWER-TRANSMISSION UNIT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

T o all whom 'it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, CHARLES E'rHAN DAVIS, a citizen of the Unit/ed States, residing at Muncie, in the county of Delaware i@ and State. of Indiana', have invented a new and useful. Power-Transmission UnitA for Automobiles, of whichthe following is a specification. l

` In t-he operation of automobiles, more especially heavy trucks of the chain-drivenfor jack-shaft type, it is found that'considerable time is lost in making repairs to the rfpower-transmitting connections between the motor and the traction wheels, because the various constructions now in use are such that these connections cannot be readily withdrawn and new ones substituted without considerable delay.

The object of my present invention is to produce a construction in which the powertransmitting mechanism, z'. c. the clutch, speed-changing and direction-changing gearing, and differential gearing interposed between the motor and the traction wheels may be constructed as a unit which may be readily inserted or withdrawn as a whole withoutdisturbing either the traction wheels or the motor so that, in 'case of needed repair such unit may be very quickly withdrawn and an identica-l unit quickly substituted.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my inventionA y Figure 1 is a plan of a chassis embodying my invention with the transmission unit in partial horizontal section; Fig. 2 a longiv tudinal vertical section of an embodiment of my transmittingunit; Fig. 3 a front elevation,'showing one form of suspension for the forward end of the unit.

In the drawings, 10 indicates the `main frame of the chassis supported at its rear end by the traction wheelstlLl-l and carrying, in any suitable manner, a motor 12.

As previously stated` the object of my invention is to prdduce a unit structure which may be" readily standardized Vfor insertion between the motor and the traction wheelsin such way that itmay be very readily withtlrtwnlalrdreplaced, said unit struc- Vture e'ii'ibodying all of the transmission elements which .are necessarily associated and wh1ch are hable to need repair or replacement. in such manner-as-tb nire material time or labor. For th t reason emdea casing 21 which is pre crably asingle cast- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented apr. as, raie.

Application led April 11, 1910. Serial No. 554,679.

lng .having a differential chamber 22, a transmission chamber 23 and a clutch chamber 24. At one end, the casing 21 is provided with a bracket or extension 25 which is preferably upwardly presented and this eXjotherwise, to a member 26 of the main frame by means of suitable bolts 27 or other suitable readily removable retaining members.

Access to the differential chamber is provided by a removable plate 31 and suitable .6o tension is adapted to be connected, rigidly or Y bearings 32 are provided to support the in- 1 ner ends of shaft sections 33, 33 which are y'connected by suitable differential gearing 34.

the main gear 35 of which meshes with a pinio'n 3G carried by the power-delivering shaft 'I' of a suitable speed varying gearing 38 mounted in chamber 23. .Access toV the chamber 23 is provided by means of a suitable removable cover member 39. The powerreceiving shaft 40 of the speed-varying gearing is extended forwardly into the clutch Achamber 24 and a suitable clutch 41 is arranged between this shaft w and the primary power-receiving shaft 42 which is journaled in suitable bearings 43 carried by a removable head plate 4a arranged to close the carried by the main frame and carrying sprocket wheels 48 connected by suitable chains 49 with the traction wheels ofthe vehicle. y

With a construction of this kind it will be noted that,. in case of any difficulty whatf' ever with the power-transmittingitrainribetween f'the lmotor andthe'shaft'l, the entire structure comprising casing/21 and all its associate parts, maybe dropped away `from the main frame as a unit Vby merely loosening the bolts`27 and 116 and-withdrawing the shaft sections 33 endwise untiljhey are withdrawn d'iolthe "casing, 'izllfhereupon a duplicate of the perrier-transmitting unit maybe immediately inserted so that a. defeet-ive unit may. be takentoashopiorlepair While the automobile proceeds to Work. By such an arrangement it becomes possible to practically permanently locate the various supply pipes, etc., connected with the motor and to repair and replace the powertransmitting unit without disturbing these connections and without any loss of time beyond the very short time required to Withdraw one unit and insert a new one.

It Will be readily understood that the details of arrangement and mounting of the various elements of the power-transmitting ti-ain may be modified to a very considerable extent. without departing from my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an 'automobile7 the combination with the main trame, of a transmission unit comprising a suitable supporting trame and carrying clutching mechanism, transmission mechanism7 and differential mechanism,said differential mechanism being formed to receive two readily removable shafts and the said unit presenting at its clutch end a shaft 'for attachment to a motor, and means for .senting at opposite sides supporting said unit lupon the frame independent of the shafts.4 Y

2. A transmission unit forautomobiles,

comprising an inclosing casing.y within' which are mounted clutching mechanism, transmission mechanism, andA differential mechanism connected inV series, the said clutching mechanismv presenting at, one .end ofthe unit a member for connection with a motor and the differential mechanism pre of said unit portions to receive readily detachable shafts, and means associated with said unit by which it may be secured in .place on the frame of an automobile independent of said shafts. y v n In witness whereof, I, have hereunto set my hand and seal at Muncie, Indiana, 'this 1st day 01.,April, A. D. one thousandnine hundred and ten.

CHARLES E'THANDAVI'S. [as] Witnesses W. H. CHURCH, E. BALTzLna.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

